HPT Grand Prix

I got an early start Saturday and headed out to Topeka for the HPT GP. When I arrived there were SCCA car races going on at the road course but what I was really interested in was the drag strip. My dad drove dragsters for the first 12 or so years of my life so I spent most of my weekends at the track. One of these days I'll get out there for the Nationals.


So after a fair amount of time geeking out at the cars going by I decided to get down to the bike racing part of the evening. In the picture you can see the lit dirt track where the course was set up. It's just about race time and Matt and Troy are about ready to go. The course was set up inside the oval dirt track with a little bit outside behind the grandstands. Pretty fun course, long high speed straights with a bumpy, tight infield section. I got a good start and made the front group and after a few laps it ended up as a group of 4 with Bill and Adam going in and out of the group. Most of the race I was fine with the pace except when we hit the 2 back straight sections. Here Bryan and Joe would put the hammer down and I'd get gapped but get back on before we hit this funky off camber turn leading to some stairs out of the race track. This turn would prove to be my down fall as with 3 laps to go I bobbled and lost contact with the group. I was struggling to close the gap when Jeff Winkler fell losing contact with the group as well. Now we were both were chasing but with 1 to go Jeff attacked and got away from me and that's how we finished. The order ended up, Joe, Brian, Jeff, and Me. Not too shabby considering how the week went.

We had a few of the Lincoln crew here for the weekend and we all had a pretty good showing Saturday night, Troy 7th, Matt 10th, Ryan 14th.